Haiti’s battle to cope with the damage inflicted by Hurricane Matthew has dramatically intensified as thousands of people are displaced by heavy rains.

According to the United Nations, the disaster has affected 350,000 Haitians and left the country facing its worst humanitarian crisis since the devastating earthquake six years ago.

Figures provided by the Civil Protection Department suggest that 15,623 people have been evacuated and 1,855 homes have been flooded.

More than 300,000 people are in shelters across the country, the United Nations said.
By Thursday morning, Matthew hurled 125 mph (205 kph) winds as it churned toward the Bahamas, the National Hurricane Center said.

A man carries a woman across a river at Petit Goave where a bridge collapsed during the rains of the Hurricane Matthew.

Crossing the river is a dangerous task which many have undertaken since the bridge collapse.

The bridge collapse left thousands stranded and cut supply lines.

People try to cross the overflowing La Rouyonne river in the commune of Leogane.

Clean water remains hugely valuable in Haiti — a cholera epidemic killed 10,000 people in 2010.

Some areas in south-west Haiti are effectively cut off, with communications disconnected and roads inaccessible due to flooding.

According to figures reported by the UN and its partners, 1,855 houses have flooded, 500 houses have been heavily damaged and 348 houses have been destroyed.

The vast damage wrought upon Haiti is clearly visible in a neighbourhood of the commune of Cite Soleil, in the capital Port-au-Prince.

A group of young men play football in the rain on the roat to Leogane, as the hurricane passes.

With roads inaccessible and supplies scarce, uncoventional modes of transport are sometimes necessary.

A woman cleans her flooded home after La Rouyonne river overflowed in the commune of Leogane.

Schools have been used as shelters to house those who lost their homes or have been displaced.